The Arc of Texas Provides Input on Intensity-Based Special Education Funding

Verbal Testimony on SB 568

Good morning, Chair Creighton and members of the committee,

My name is Sabrina Gonzalez Saucedo, and I am the Director of Public Policy at The Arc of Texas. Thank you so much for the opportunity to testify today on SB 568.

First, I want to sincerely thank Senator Bettencourt for his dedicated service on the Special Education Funding Commission and for his work on this bill. SB 568 incorporates many of the Commission’s recommendations, and these reforms are a crucial step toward ensuring equitable and adequate funding for students with disabilities across Texas.

To further strengthen this bill, I would like to respectfully highlight two key recommendations for the committee’s consideration.

First, we ask that the legislature boldly invest in special education to support the success of the transition to an intensity-of-service-based funding model. The current gap between what districts are spending on special education and what they are allocated exceeds $1.7 billion each year. Closing this gap is essential to ensuring that the new funding model works effectively and that all students with disabilities receive the support they need to succeed.

Second, we recommend removing the SSLC provision in Section 29.0056. This provision inappropriately requires school personnel to inform families about State Supported Living Centers (SSLCs). SSLCs just another educational setting, they are most restrictive, segregated, and costly residential option for children with disabilities. Prioritizing them in placement discussions, without sharing information about community-based supports and services could lead to increased institutionalization and family separations, rather than supporting children in family-based settings. For these reasons, we recommend that Section 29.0056 be struck from the bill.

SB 568 is a vital step toward equitable special education funding, and we urge the legislature to fully fund special education while removing policies that could lead to institutionalization. Thank you for your leadership, for your time today, I am happy to answer any questions.